Sheriff Tim Mueller

On June 1, 2005 Tim Mueller was sworn in as the 38th Linn County Sheriff, replacing Sheriff Dave Burright who assumed the executive director’s position with the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association.

In May 2006, in a three way race, Tim was elected Sheriff in his own right when Linn County voters gave him 77% of the votes.

Sheriff Mueller grew up in Tangent, Oregon on his family’s farm. He was a volunteer firefighter before joining the Army and became interested in the Linn County Sheriff’s Office through his father, Kent Mueller, who has been with the Sheriff’s Posse since 1976.

Tim started his law enforcement career as a United States Army Military Policeman in 1980. While serving our country an MP, Tim served in Alabama, Germany and Fort Hood, Texas.

Upon his discharge from active duty, Tim returned to Oregon and volunteered for the Linn County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse. He was hired by Linn County Sheriff Ken Goin in 1984 as a corrections deputy. Mueller was promoted to corporal in 1989 and to sergeant in 1994. In 1998 he was promoted to lieutenant and assumed the duties of Jail Commander. In 2001 Sheriff Dave Burright promoted Tim to Undersheriff, where he managed overall Sheriff's Office operations.

Tim has served with the Linn County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Post as an advisor since 1986, training and mentoring hundreds of young men and women in that program. He established the annual Search and Rescue Training Academy which has proven tremendously successful since it began in 1994. Seeing the need for trained law enforcement leaders, Tim also formed the Sheriff’s Office Primary Leadership Development Course in 1998 which continues today, giving both prospective and new supervisors the tools they need to succeed as leaders. Sheriff Mueller received the Albany Chamber of Commerce/Security Alarm Corp. Public Safety Award in 1995 and was voted the Sheriff’s Office Supervisor of the Year by his peers in 1997.

Sheriff Mueller has been married to his wife Jean for 19 years and they have a son and two daughters.